The Cancer Screening and Survivorship Program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Feb;18(1):11-16. doi: 10.1007/s11764-023-01521-y. Epub 2024 Jan 31.

Abstract

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell) is the only NCI-designated cancer center in New York State outside of the New York City metropolitan area. The Cancer Screening and Survivorship Program combines cancer screening services with survivorship care in a freestanding centralized clinic with providers also dispersed to see survivors in other clinical areas. The aims of the program are to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care to cancer survivors and their families and caregivers by addressing symptoms, supporting wellness, prevention and quality of life, and engaging community primary care providers in a shared-care model. The clinic is led by an onco-generalist, defined as an internal medicine trained physician serving cancer survivor's medical issues from all cancer disease sites. Roswell's Cancer Screening and Survivorship Program growth and development is guided by ongoing research related to patient needs and barriers to care, overall quality of life, health promotion and prevention, as well as education and training to build a more robust cancer survivorship workforce. The cancer center leadership has identified the expansion of cancer survivorship paired with community outreach and engagement, PCP outreach and education, and comprehensive cancer screening services as one of the key strategic areas of growth over the next decade. With the investment in our long-term strategic plan, we expect to continue to grow and serve a broader community of cancer survivors and further our research related to the structure and outcomes of our programmatic activities. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: This program provides robust whole-person care for cancer survivors and provides an example of successful infrastructure for cancer survivorship.

Keywords: Cancer center; Cancer surveillance; Cancer survivorship.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cancer Survivors*
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms* / prevention & control
  • Quality of Life
  • Survivors
  • Survivorship